


(where we at) Only Few Have Known

by dls



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: BAMF Loki (Marvel), BAMF Tony Stark, Fluff, Getting Together, Infinity Gems, M/M, Magic Coffee, Marvel Trumps Hate 2018, Outer Space, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2020-01-26
Packaged: 2020-04-05 06:43:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19043245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dls/pseuds/dls
Summary: Sometimes, they would lie down in the common room and gaze up at the stars glittering against the black velvet of the sky. With Loki by his side, Tony looked at the vastness of space and saw limitless possibilities. Nothing to fear except that they wouldn't have time to see it all.Or: In 2012, after surviving an alien invasion and a heart attack, Tony Stark joined Loki on an adventure through the galaxy to search and secure the other Infinity Stones.





	1. Fic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lena7623](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lena7623/gifts).



> My second creation for the [Marvel Trumps Hate](https://marveltrumpshate.tumblr.com/) fandom auction. 
> 
> Thank you to lena7623 for your support of MTH and my work, here is some fluff! ❤
> 
> Beta-ed by [Arboreal](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arboreal/pseuds/Arboreal).
> 
> References/Quotes:   
>  Title from "Rocketeer" by Far East Movement.   
>  _Iron Man_. _Iron Man 2_. _Thor_. _Avengers_. _Iron Man 3_. _Thor: Dark World_. _Guardians of the Galaxy_. _Doctor Strange_. _Avengers: Infinity War_. _Avengers: Endgame_.   
>  _Doctor Who_.   
>  _[Next Big Thing](https://archiveofourown.org/works/3349583)_ by earlgreytea68.   
>  _Mean Girls_.   
>  _Grey's Anatomy (S15E11)_.   
>  _Angel (S05E17)_.

"What is the meaning of this?" Loki's stare veered over to Tony, languorously amused.

Tony hadn't quite figured out if the humor was shared between them or at his expense but decided to go with the former. While Loki had made a few remarks about Midgard's primitive technology over the past few days, his comments had always been framed in a complimentary manner toward Tony's inventions. "It's a space ship, so we'll be traveling in style."

The holographic blueprint glowed in the darkened workshop; a man-made constellation ready to join the stars.

"An Infinity Stone was not extravagant enough for you?"

"I may- Um, _we_ may not always have the Tesseract."

"And I suppose this is your insurance if I were to leave you behind?"

"It also has a coffeemaker?" Tony offered, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

*

It was quite a gamble to leave Earth with Loki.

Rhodey, Pepper, and Happy hadn't been and still weren't happy with the decision but they grudgingly admitted that it was a safer option. Tony's heart attack, caused by a loose wiring in the arc reactor, would have been dismissed as an unlucky accident on its own but when combined with everything else that had happened during and shortly after his collapse, there were too many coincidences for it to be chance. And this was _before_ the security feeds had been corrupted, showing nothing but static.

SHIELD believed Loki was responsible, despite that there was no trace of his specific energy signature where the Captain America imposter had been. Senator Pierce, Undersecretary of the World Security Council, was especially eager to sweep it all under the rug before the dust could settle. None of the Avengers seemed bothered by the blind eye Fury was turning, pun very much intended.

Tony knew, with a certainty he couldn't explain, that it wasn't Loki. Someone who wanted flowers and parades and a monument built in the skies would want to preserve the glory of his successes instead of erasing it.

Which meant _someone else_ \- who had the ability to shapeshift, could bypass JARVIS' security, and was willing to risk Tony's life - wanted the Tesseract and the Scepter.

And wasn't that a terrifying thought?

It was a small comfort that the Tesseract had vanished with Loki and the Scepter, inexplicably found in an empty elevator moments after it was taken, had been brought back to Asgard after Thor had declared Midgardians unfit to guard such powerful artifacts.

But the fear of an unknown threat lingered, weighing him down and drowning him in dread.

When Loki appeared in his workshop with a theory and two glasses of scotch, Tony listened, letting Loki's words wash over him and carry him up to surface.

Thanos, the Mad Titan who had made Loki his puppet in the Chitauri Invasion, wasn't the only one interested in the Infinity Stones. There were others who would devour worlds to sate their hunger for power. Neither of had ever claimed to be a hero and both found the prospect of ruining a villain's day amusing.

Ensuring and improving the security of each Infinity Stone, making it more difficult if not outright impossible for anyone who wished to use them for personal gain, certainly fit the bill.

They toasted to their new alliance, an offer fulfilled and a celebration of what was to come.

*

"Prudent." Loki hummed, absently tapping the hologram with one long, elegant finger. He didn't seem offended, at least.

"Right? I mean, of course." JARVIS, thankfully, did not contradict him. "I figured we'll need a place to kick back and put our feet up at the end of the day-"

"We?"

"Yeah." Tony pulled up the blueprint for their personal quarters. "Here's your room."

A kaleidoscope of emotions flickered through Loki's eyes before settling on pleasantly surprised. "It will do nicely." He studied the designs with more interest and scrolled through them, snagging on the engine room. "This is the star in your chest."

Instinctively, Tony cupped a hand over his own arc reactor. "Yeah, it's called an arc reactor, actually. It's a, um, power source."

"You are no golem."

It took a few seconds for Tony to understand what Loki meant and when he did, a chuckle slipped from his mouth, easing the tightness in his chest. "No, but I do have tiny pieces of metal trying to make their home in my heart and this-" He traced the circular casing. "-keeps the electromagnet running."

Loki looked as if he wanted to ask more.

And Tony needed to change the subject. "Anyway, it'll save us the time to refuel and can get us where we need to go. It's not as fast as that popping up out of nowhere thing you do but-"

"It can be." Loki interrupted. "If you created a receptacle to harness the Tesseract, _we_ can pop up out of nowhere, as you so eloquently phrased it."

Tony could only nod, stunned by the possibilities that had just become available. They could travel _instantly_ and _inter-dimensionally_.

"Wonderful." Loki commented, a new teasing quality in his tone. "Now, what is it called?"

"Huh?" Tony blinked.

"Come now, Stark. You name every one of your creations. What is this one called?"

"Tony's Awesome Recovery Discovery Intergalactic Shuttle." He shuffled his feet. "TARDIS, for short."

"I take it that you came up with this absurd name because it made for what you think is a witty acronym?" Loki chuckled, a deep and easy rumble.

Tony gasped in mock offense. "I would _never_!"

Loki arched a brow with amused skepticism. "Spirit, what does your name stand for?"

"Just A Rather Very Intelligent System." JARVIS answered dutifully.

"Traitor." Tony grumbled.

*

It would be approximately two weeks before the TARDIS was completed, possibly sooner given JARVIS' tendency to overestimate production schedule to accommodate for unforeseen delays. Though Tony strongly suspected that the A.I. just wanted more time to convince him to review the safety briefing.

Happy had given the closest camera a thumb's up when Tony shared his theory. In retaliation, Tony had thrown a ketchup packet at him, hiding a smile behind his cheeseburger. It was nice to know that they cared, though it would be better if they showed it in a way that didn't involve incredibly long and horribly boring reports.

Rhodey was entirely unsympathetic and even threatened Tony with a trade, he would read the safety briefing and Tony could deal with the politicians whose feathers had been ruffled by the announcement of Iron Man leaving on an intergalactic scouting mission. Tony had pretended to be going through a tunnel and hung up.

*

Tony squinted at the flood of data as his hands flew over the keyboard without pause, trying to determine commonalities between the energy outputs from the Tesseract and the Scepter so he could use the data to refine Bruce's tracking algorithm.

Loki had chosen to pursue the mythical angle. He was off-realm to consult with other magic users about cosmic events and historical battles that could have a connection to the Infinity Stones.

Finding the remaining Infinity Stones was a daunting task and one way to deal with the pressure was to turn it into a competition of science versus magic. Both knew it wasn't a game, the stakes were far too high for that, but it didn't mean they couldn't have a bit of fun.

*

It hadn't occurred to Tony to question if Loki would be back as he had promised until Pepper lifted a skeptical brow, opening her mouth before closing it with a self-conscious purse of her lips.

They were relearning and reestablishing the boundaries of their friendship after ending their courtship. The decision hadn't been easily or hastily made but that knowledge hadn't really provided any comfort. Understanding the exact reasons why he and Pepper wouldn't have worked hurt so much that it made him want to reach for the false hope that _maybe_ they could have made it if he had tried harder or if she had worried less; a band-aid on a bruise that wouldn't do much except to hide it from view.

Seeing the damage, however, was a different kind of pain. They avoided each other as much as they could and averted their eyes when they were in the same room.

Maybe a bit of space would do them both good.

*

Loki returned in a shimmer of green.

Tony dropped his coffee, body charged with adrenaline and pulse racing. "Is it too late to appeal to your humanity?" He quipped, referencing their first interaction. "I have a heart condition, you know."

It wasn't really a joke. The pieces of shrapnel embedded in his chest had shifted when the arc reactor malfunctioned; a fraction of a millimeter was enough to cut a few more years off of his already shortened life expectancy.

Concern flitted across Loki's expression.

Tony wanted, _needed_ , to put a stop to it before concern could become worry and worry become doubt. He wasn't broken, he could do this. "So what's up, Reindeer Games? You're early." Today was only day twelve.

Loki's gaze lingered but he didn't pursue the matter. "Time, you could say, is of the essence." His lips twitched. "I have located an Infinity Stone."

"Already?" Tony squawked; his program was nowhere near complete. "Where?"

"Kathmandu."

*

The Ancient One made a mean cup of tea.

Tony took another sip as he waited for Wong to come up with a password for the new wireless connection. Loki hadn't exactly endeared them to the other wizards milling about the place, what with the teleporting into their inner sanctum uninvited and all. So Tony was trying to smooth over any friction by improving their quality of life.

"Shamballa." Wong decided at last. "Capital S."

"That's it? No numbers or symbols?"

"No."

"Pretty weak password." Tony pointed out.

Wong shrugged. "Not many make it through our doors."

"Fair enough." Tony typed it in with a flourish. "Mythical kingdom, fitting."

The double doors swung open and the Ancient One strolled out. Her once bright yellow robes were covered with a thick layer of snow but her boots were incongruently caked with sand. 

Tony frowned. "Where's Loki?" 

As if on cue, a portal appeared above and Loki dropped from it like a cat, landing lightly on his feet and rising gracefully to standing. The only thing amiss in his appearance was his wind-swept hair. "Well done, Sorceress." He chuckled. "Few have managed to evade me for as long as you have."

"You would have captured me, given time."

"Then it is a very good thing that time is on your side, is it not?" Loki countered.

The Ancient One smiled. "Indeed."

It looked like they had found a suitable guardian for the Time Stone. Three down, three to go. Already halfway to their goal and they hadn't even left Earth yet.

Tony felt his shoulders sag, though he couldn't tell if it was due to relief or disappointment.

*

The enormity of the universe still haunted his dreams and thoughts, collapsing and compressing down on him like a black hole. Which was why Tony had wanted the TARDIS to be as light and open as a spacecraft with a self-contained environmental protection system complete with artificial gravity could be. He consulted an interior designer who specialized in micro-apartments, figuring a self-contained room was basically the same as a spaceship cabin.

Ariadne had done a beautiful job. The four private rooms were done in earth tones overlaid with warm colors and the two public areas featured creamy accents as well as solar simulators to mimic the effects of skylights. The cumulative effect was an environment that felt comfortable and inviting, like a piece of home to take along on a journey far, far away.

"Impressive, Stark. You have manipulated light and angles to make this area appear more spacious than its exterior had suggested." Loki hummed after a stretch of silence that verged on tense after stepping into the spaceship.

"It's bigger on the inside." Tony said, gleeful even if Loki wouldn't get the reference. "And just call me Tony."

"There is magic flowing through your veins, _Tony_."

A shiver traveled down Tony's spine; he had never heard his name spoken with such intention before. Or maybe it was just the accent playing tricks on his ears. "I'll let Ariadne know you said that, she's the one who worked her optical illusion magic and all."

"You are not claiming credit?"

"Um, no? That's kind of a dick move." Tony pushed down the indignation and hurt. He should have expected it; it wasn't the first time that someone's assumed the worst of him.

"Odin minimizes, if not outright omits, certain elements from his tales of conquest, as does Thor." Loki's gaze took on a faraway quality as it turned toward the geometric tiles lining the backsplash in the kitchen. "I am pleased to know that my chosen companion is an honest man."

Tony blinked. "Um, thank you. And, um, you too."

Loki's eyes snapped back to Tony, flooding with surprise and crinkling at the corners. "I look forward to our time together."

Caught off-guard, Tony could only parrot his own words. "Um, thank you. And, you too." He grimaced. "I mean, me too." Oh god, this was humiliating. "Look, a chair!" His tone bordered on pleading.

Thankfully Loki took pity on him and accepted the change of subject, just as he had done before. "Tell me about it."

Sighing with relief, Tony pointed out Ariadne's clever selection of thin-framed furniture with defined legs, the empty spaces beneath lengthening the height of the room.

*

The TARDIS vanished in gray-blue cloud as the Tesseract transported them to another realm.

Tony's brows furrowed promptly when he stepped outside. Instead of gilded halls, they were standing in a grassy field. "This isn't Asgard."

"Well spotted." A new voice chimed from behind him. The speaker was a woman with golden curls cascading down her back, an ageless face, and a pair of startlingly blue eyes. Her smile was fond but tinged with melancholy. "Loki."

"Mother. May I introduce my companion, a man of ingenuity and integrity, Anthony, Son of Stark."

"Hi there." Tony fidgeted. He had never been great with parents, his own or other people's, but he always kept his end of a deal. Loki had endured his friends' questions and Tony would meet the All-Mother. "Your majesty." He added hastily.

"There is no need for such formality. I am no Queen _here_ , only a mother."

The emphasis wasn't lost on Tony. Here. As in, not Asgard where Frigga was Queen and Loki was charged with treasonous acts against the crown. Reading the loophole between the lines, he nodded in understanding. "I like it here."

Loki winked slyly. "I do as well, Vanaheim is a place of great beauty and _freedom_."

"I can see that, lots of open space, no walls." Tony replied, carrying on the conversation they were having between the lines.

"Clever boys." Frigga chuckled. "I almost pity those who stand in your way."

 

Frigga's first impression of the TARDIS was that its exterior belied its interior.

Tony felt a tide of amusement rising in his chest as he translated the overly flowery Asgardian speech; it was smaller on the outside.

 

Before she departed, Frigga set a small silver charm down on the table. "It is enchanted with Allspeak, keep it against your skin and you will understand and be understood by all."

"A magical universal translator?" Tony said, so overcome with delight that he could only speak in a whisper. He had plans of creating a translation matrix of his own but he would need to gather enough data first. "Thank you!"

"You are most welcome. Be safe and be well." She pressed a kiss against Tony's cheek and two against each of Loki's. "Remember, my Loki, the true measure of a person is how well they succeed at being who they are."

*

Their first official outing was to a planet where they had been told to never return due a very small misunderstanding involving a puzzle that had never been solved and the fact that the villagers liked it that way. Apparently they enjoyed the mystery and had responded poorly when Loki deciphered it in less than a minute.

It was only Tony's quick thinking to give them a new puzzle that had saved them from a more permanent exit. By way of the very large reptile with teeth the size of Tony's leg.

Even though the Power Stone wasn't there, Tony felt entirely justified to claim this victory in the name of science because he had asked them for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter.

The villagers would be solving for pi for many, many years to come.

*

"You know, I just realized something."

Loki hummed curiously as he surveyed the collection of daggers before him.

Tony gestured to the milling crowd around them, beings of various shapes and sizes and colors with any number of limbs and heads and teeth, then to himself, clad in a metal suit of red and gold. "We're all aliens in space, kind of cool, right?"

Loki didn't say anything, which was fine since it wasn't the sort of observation that invited conversation, but later that night, there was a set of beautifully crafted daggers on Tony's nightstand.

*

"I haven't been able to find anything on the stupid Power Stone." Tony whined, dragging out his vowels to make the extent of his suffering clear, just in case the video cut out like it had the last time they spoke. Intergalactic calls were unpredictable like that.

Rhodey didn't even glance up from his magazine. "There, there."

Tony scowled. "What're you reading anyway? It can't possibly be more interesting than my awesome-"

"Just this American hero on the cover of Time." Rhodey held the magazine up to the camera.

"What the hell?" Tony shouted, torn between leaning in to see the details and recoiling with disgust at the sight of the War Machine armor painted in the motif of the American flag. "What happened?"

"Lots of things can happen when you don't check in _for a month_. Like, say, a terrorist group as a front for genetic manipulation gone wrong and a plot to assassinate the President and _people breathing fire in my face_."

"Shit." Tony breathed, a sigh and a hiss rolled into one. He was so relieved that everything had seemingly worked out okay and so angry at himself for not being there. "I'll get Loki and we'll be back-"

Rhodey glared. "No, asshole. I didn't tell you to guilt trip you. I'm telling you so you'd call more, so I can tell you how awesome I am."

"Huh?"

"I'm going to take that as a response to you being emotionally dumb and not a response to me being awesome." Rhodey sniffed. "Look, we got it handled. Killian tried to play Pepper-"

"Pepper's involved?"

"-and she thought he was sketch so Happy-"

"Happy too?"

"-did some digging and found that his company was funded by sketch people-"

"Stop trying to make sketch happen."

"Stop misquoting Mean Girls."

Tony batted his lashes. "You're so fetch, Platypus."

Rhodey rolled his eyes, fondly exasperated.

*

Tony had thought Loki, with all the layers of leather and metal and aloofness, would have a personal bubble a mile wide.

So set was he in that opinion, he didn't notice how often Loki had been touching him - a nudge against his side by way of greeting, a tap on his shoulder to get his attention, a sharp kick to his shin when he hummed AC/DC but a lighter one when it was Bon Jovi, an arm draped across his shoulders for comfort, and a bump of elbow to elbow when they had a good day - until he found himself with his head in Loki's lap and his feet propped up on the couch's armrest while Loki thumbed through a spell book he had _borrowed_ from Kamar-Taj's library on their latest check-in.

Instead of questioning it, Tony just closed his eyes and flexed his toes, feeling the stretch in his legs and relaxing further into the warmth around him.

*

Loki dropped unceremoniously onto Tony's bed. "The upcoming Convergence is key to locating the Aether."

The first time Loki had charged into Tony's room in the middle of the night with a theory, Tony had startled and fallen off of the bed, sprawling on the floor. Now, though, he was mostly used to it, had come to adore it, even, these little eccentricities of living together.

"Key, yay." He mumbled, only half-listening.

"If Bor hid the Aether immediately after battle, it stands to reason that he used one of the portals that were born and evaporated at random to disguise the location. This is why there are no records..."

Instead of paying attention to the words, Tony focused on the cadence of Loki's voice and let it lull him back to sleep.

*

They landed on a world that had an anti-magic force field.

"You-" Tony gaped as Loki's pale skin turned blue and his green eyes burned scarlet.

"I am Jotun." Loki hissed with a mix of defiance and devastation, like he was daring Tony not to accept him as he was but still wished he were different somehow.

Frigga's parting words suddenly made sense.

_Remember, my Loki, the true measure of a person is how well they succeed at being who they are._

Tony cleared his throat. He was horrible at these kinds of things but he was willing to try. Had to try. "You are Loki, that's what matters."

"Is it? To you?" There it was, that hint of something intentional.

Tony wanted to make a joke, a one-liner to ease the tension, but the moment felt too important to be cheapened with humor. So he just nodded and reached for Loki's hand, holding on tight even as the icy bite from Loki's touch seeped through the armor.

When Loki's reciprocated the gesture, he did it with a small, warm smile.

*

"The Convergence will be the only time when the Aether is accessible, if we can safeguard it for the duration, none will be able to..."

Tony turned over to face Loki, so the mage could see him pull the covers over his head in an act of protest for the interruption of his sleep.

*

After nearly a year, Tony's tracking algorithm finally picked up a faint trace of an energy signature that could be an Infinity Stone. It led them to Morag, once a flourishing planet until its sea levels rose rapidly and flooded the lands.

"Sir, I strongly advise against venturing into the waters. Unknown oceanic wildlife aside, the detected alkalinity will corrode the armor within the seconds."

Tony peered down into the churning waves, consoling himself with the fact that no one else would be able to get down there to investigate either. "Climate change is real." He said solemnly.

*

"You must allow me to pay you now so that I may own your corpse." Taneleer Tavin's greeting was certainly unique. In that it wasn't much of a greeting at all. "At the moment of your death, of course."

Tony took a step back. "Um."

"Does this light stay on when your heart is no longer beating?"

"Um."

They left hastily after that. A tour of the galaxy's largest collection of fauna, relics, and species of all manner didn't seem so appealing when its keeper was eyeing Tony like an exhibit to be added.

*

It was Happy who came up with the suggestion for Tony to check other known vaults in the universe, theorizing that if SHIELD had the Tesseract then the chances were good that some other space agency might have one of the Infinity Stones. "They probably have blockers in place and that's why you aren't getting any hits." He sounded confident in his ability in a way he hadn't since Tony had become Iron Man.

"Thanks, Hap." Tony decided not to make the Forehead of Security joke, even if Happy was perpetually misjudging where the camera was.

"Sure thing, Boss."

*

Irani Rael, the commander of Nova Corps, did not seem alarmed that a stranger was in her office and rewriting the security protocol. Or it could be the blaster in her hand, with her finger extended and resting on the frame of the gun. Excellent trigger discipline and as good a sign as any that she didn't intend to do him harm _yet_. "State your name, species, and intention." 

"Tony Stark. Human. Upgrades." Tony finished off the last line of code and turned the screen toward her. "See for yourself."

For a moment, Irani peered at him suspiciously then she sighed and started reviewing the changes.

"It's more versatile but just as effective. This shield can now repel other forms of kinetic energy attacks, they'll get through eventually but it should at least buy you enough time to evacuate if needed. Oh, and this plasma cannon..." Tony trailed off when it became clear that Irani was no longer listening, her attention fully on the changes he had implemented, changes that could save lives.

The Nova Empire was founded largely to defend Xandar from the Kree. Their weaponry and defenses were designed with countering Kree technology in mind; against other potential threats, however, they were ill-equipped. The Chitauris could have decimated Xandar in less than a day.

After several minutes, made longer by the blaster she still had trained on him, she finally set it down. "Why are you helping us?"

"Xandar has a population of twelve billion people and a well-known collection of powerful objects, which sounds like a recipe for disaster to me." Tony replied. "So I'm here to throw a few more ingredients into the mix and hopefully we'll end up with something delicious instead. Like cheeseburgers."

Irani studied him for a moment, her expression softening with sympathy. "You didn't need to do this for food, Terran. Xandar provides free meals to all in need."

Tony sputtered. "That's not-" His stomach grumbled, effectively cutting off and undermining his denial. 

*

They had underestimated the phoenix-human hybrids on this planet and Loki paid the price of their over-confidence with increasingly painful-looking burns, in the shape of a wing, down his side. Despite the nurse's assurance that Loki would be fine and her gentle suggestion that Tony get some rest himself, Tony remained stubbornly by Loki's side. Instead of the numbers on the clock, tracking the seconds and minutes and hours, he counted Loki's breaths instead; a new and better way to measure time.

In.

Out.

Small, disconnected moments flashed through mind, all of Loki. Nothing grand or significant, just the crooked way Loki grinned when he was happy, the cooing snores Loki refused to admit, the scrunch of Loki's nose when he was thinking, and even the snippy tone Loki took when he hadn't eaten in a while.

In.

Out.

He needed Loki to wake up.

 

When Loki finally woke, he was incredibly short-tempered and made Tony promise to take him to a magic healer next time.

"A witch doctor isn't a real doctor, you know?" Tony pointed out, aiming for lighthearted and missing it by a weary mile. "And there better not be a next time."

Loki studied him for several seconds, green eyes soft though they were still tight with pain around the corners. Then he shifted to his side, clearing a space on the narrow bed. "Rest before you fall over and we must extend our stay at this forsaken place."

Tony climbed in without hesitation, careful not to aggravate Loki's still healing wounds as he arranged himself to mirror Loki's position.

*

"The alignment of worlds approaches and will be upon us in three days."

Tony cracked open an eye when nothing else followed.

Loki was asleep, sitting up against the headboard with his head canted to the side and a heavy tome on his chest. Soft little noises were slipping from his parted lips.

Carefully, Tony slid the book out from under Loki's lax fingers and set it gently on the floor. They would figure out a plan to deal with the Convergence in the morning.

 

The Aether was unlike anything Tony had seen before. It flowed between two slabs of stone, suspended in air and contained by nothing. Of course the Reality Stone would be defying the laws of physics.

Loki's hands flew through a series of intricate moves, chanting an equally complicated-sounding spell under his breath.

So entranced by those pale and graceful fingers, Tony barely registered that the column had disappeared, hidden from anyone else who happened find their way here.

 

"Dr. Foster." Tony gripped Jane under her elbow, steadying her as she stumbled through a portal. "Fancy seeing you here. Thanks for coming by. Watch your step."

Stunned, Jane took in the crumbling landscape and Tony's words. "What's going on-" She stared at the gray-blue specks gathering in the air, coalescing into a rectangular shape roughly the size of a door. "What is that?"

"Your way home." Loki pushed her through the gateway unceremoniously, shrugging unapologetically when Tony shot him a disapproving look.

Behind them, the Aether remained undetected in its prison and would stay that way until for the next five millennia.

*

Except for the three orange suns in the sky, this planet was a replica of Bora Bora with its clear waters and white sand beaches.

As soon as JARVIS gave the all-clear, Tony stepped out of the armor and pulled off the top of his flight suit with a sigh of relief. He was sweat-slicked beneath the material and the light breeze instantly cooled his damp skin. Once upon a time, he would have been self-conscious of the starburst of scars but after nearly a year of traveling and learning and growing, he found himself unconcerned.

Loki was lounging against a palm tree with brilliant blue fronds and still clad in his customary leather and metal.

Tony frowned. "Aren't you hot? It's making me hot just looking at you." A family walked by just then, the parents shooting him a scandalized glare. "I meant, um, hot like temperature hot. There're lots of different kinds of hot."

"Do tell." Loki pinned him with a look that sent his blood buzzing with a different kind of heat.

Hot and bothered, Tony realized dazedly, was another kind of hot.

*

As it turned out, the waters of Morag receded every three hundred years.

Irani had contacted him with a request to recalibrate Xandar's security system now that they were the protectors of the Power Stone, retrieved by someone from _Missouri_ of all places.

*

Space. Mind. Time. Reality. Power.

All that was left was the Soul Stone.

*

Tony woke with a start, flailing arms and kicking legs stilling instantly when the searing agony in his chest locked his joints and stole his breath.

For a moment, he thought he was back in Afghanistan. Perhaps he had never left and all that had happened - Iron Man, Avengers, Loki - was just a fevered dream, a small mercy granted to a dying man.

Then memories filtered back. Their visit to a mountain that legends claimed to house great power, which turned out not to be an Infinity Stone but a giant spider with barbed legs and a fondness for glittering things. The monstrous thing had zeroed in on the arc reactor before Tony could ready a repulsor shot, its venom melting away the armor in a sickening sizzle. Deep cuts, bubbling with green ooze, had littered his torso and made his vision blur around the edges. The last thing Tony remembered was Loki leaning close and calling his name shakily. He found himself almost preferring that look of frantic fear than the quiet devastation on Loki's face now.

"Since I can remember, I have measured my life in the things done to me, taken from me." Loki's stare was fixed on Tony's bandaged chest and his voice a broken whisper. "I cannot bear it if you were one of those things too. I cannot lose you." He looked utterly shattered by his confession, by the possibility.

Gritting his teeth against the flare of pain, Tony reached for Loki's hand and pressed it against his heart. "I'm right here." He wished he could offer more.

*

Loki's eyes were absurdly green, especially on this world where everything was black and white.

The townsfolk trembled in awe and fear of their colors.

*

Located at the very center of celestial existence, Vormir was known as a dominion of death.

Tony had no idea what a _dominion of death_ was but it sounded dramatic enough to warrant a visit.

 

The temple they were standing in appeared to have been deserted for centuries, void of any signs of life and cast in an eerie glow from the eclipsed sun.

Floating above the steep drop at the semicircular edge was a hooded figure. "Welcome, Loki, son of Laufey and Anthony, son of Howard." He glided out of the shadows, revealing his face for the first time. His skin was a weathered crimson, stretched over sunken cheeks and protruding brow ridge and folded into where a nose should be.

"You know us?" A dagger materialized in Loki's hand.

Tony readied a repulsor shot.

"As Stonekeeper, it is my curse to know all who journey here. A lifetime ago, I, too, sought the stones. I even held one in my hand but it cast me out, banished me here. Guiding others to a treasure I cannot possess."

Tony made a sympathetic noise but didn't lower his arm. "That sucks."

The Stonekeeper nodded before he caught himself, resuming an air of importance. "What you seek lies before you."

Loki tilted his head, his gaze as assessing as his blade was deadly. "What might that be?"

"The Soul Stone. Beware the terrible price it extracts from those who wished to seize it."

Tony and Loki shared a look of surprise at the information; not only had they already safeguarded the Reality Stone, but it appeared they would also be securing the Soul Stone as well. They lowered their weapons.

"We don't want the Soul Stone." Tony said, noting the way the Keeper's shoulders relaxed. "But since we're here, what's this price anyway?"

"In order to take the stone..." The Keeper paused dramatically.

Tony tapped his foot.

Loki sighed surreptitiously.

"...you must lose that which you love. An everlasting exchange. A soul for a soul."

A beat of silence passed.

"That seems really open to interpretation." Tony commented.

"Indeed." Loki agreed. "Must the both parties be willing? The seeker ready to pay the price and the sacrificed consented to fulfill the bargain?"

"And what kind of love are we talking here? Like specific family-and-friends kind of love or more general I-love-my-fellow-men kind of love or the dramatic if-it's-you-or-the-world-I-choose-you kind of love?" Tony asked.

The Keeper stared at them, confused and uncertain. Which was answer enough.

Loki's eyes gleamed. "It sounds like you are in need of some specificity."

Tony understood right away. "Oh yeah, otherwise, anyone can just stroll in here and take the Soul Stone. That doesn't seem fair to you."

"...I'm listening."

 

A new rumor about the Soul Stone began circulating throughout the galaxy, how the price to acquire it was an impossible one that could result in grievous loss with no reward.

_In order to take the stone, you must kill that which you love above all else._

"It's totally a trap, you see?" A patron at the bar slammed down his glass. "If you can sacrifice someone to get the Soul Stone, then clearly you don't love them above all else."

"What if they die for you?" A voice countered from one of the tables.

Another voice rose. "Doesn't count, does it? It says that you must _kill_ that which you love above all else. Someone offing themselves wouldn't count!"

"Are you saying that no one can get the Soul Stone?" Someone shouted from the back.

The bartender snorted. "Well, I certainly don't want to be the one to try first."

The tavern fell silent.

In a corner booth, Tony and Loki toasted each other on a job well done.

*

Neither of them could remember who first decided to keep traveling the universe together, checking in on the Infinity Stones periodically, all they knew was that they didn't want to stop.

Until they had to.

*

"Seeds of the Vitality Fruit." The merchant, a small vulpine creature, said; her ears twitching eagerly. "Very, very rare. Its brew will rejuvenate your mind and body."

Tony squinted at what looked and smelled like coffee beans. "How do you brew it?"

When she brought over a set of mortar and pestle, a tea pot, and an assortment of sugars, Tony knew this had to be space coffee. The directions - ground up the seeds, steep the powder in hot water, and temper the bitterness - were exactly the same.

"I'll need to scan them first." JARVIS had been adamant about this protocol, dismissing Tony's theory that DUM-E's motor oil smoothies had prepared his stomach for alien cuisine.

"Oh, of course but you'll find that there's no need. They make Terrans better, not worse."

Once JARVIS declared them non-toxic, the best they could do given the limited data, Tony beckoned the merchant over. "I'll take the whole bag."

She looked startled for a moment. "Are you sure? A handful or two of the seeds will be more than enough. The effects-"

"I know we've never met but trust me when I tell you that I've a very high tolerance for caffeine." He grinned.

 

Tony put the fair trade coffee he had once been enamored with in the cupboard, so he wouldn't feel guilty for cheating on it with something new.

The first cup of alien coffee tasted like glory. An oaky flavor rolled on his tongue with a hint of spice that invigorated his senses and then the dose of space caffeine kicked in, proving the claim of _vitality_ had definitely not been exaggerated. He got through the entire day feeling refreshed and focused, without the withdrawal headaches that plagued him by midafternoon and the second dose that disrupted his sleep at night.

Maybe the merchant had been right after all. These _Seeds of the Vitality Fruit_ were serious business.

 

He didn't think much of it until a month later, when he stepped out of the shower and caught his blurry reflection in the steamed-up mirror. Something was different. Hastily, he wiped a hand across the glass to get a better look.

Gone were the gray hairs at his temple, the shadows under his eyes, and the fine lines etched in his skin.

_Its brew is believed to rejuvenate your mind and body._

_They make Terrans better, not worse._

_A handful or two of the seeds will be more than enough._

The shopkeeper's words replayed in his mind, every syllable in absolute clarity as if the scene was being played out in front of him. His memory, while good, had never been _that_ good.

"JARVIS, do a biometric scan."

*

Tony was finally able to offer Loki more, an extended lifetime's worth of more.

*

"As these strands intertwine, so do your lives and souls." The alien elder proclaimed. "You _must_ seal your bond with a kiss."

Colorful ropes looped around their joined hands and twisted up their forearms because _of course_ they would land on a planet where the unmarried were considered cursed and ended up marrying each other under the threat of death.

"For all my dreams of this moment, I never envisioned it happening under these circumstances." Loki lamented, sincere and serious with something like loss in his gaze.

Tony never wanted to see that look again. "Then we'll just have to do it again." He tipped his face upward in offering, reveling in the lack of personal space between them. "Which means you better kiss me before they get stabby."

The crowded gathered around them was staring at them with impatience and suspicion that bordered on violent.

Loki leaned down without hesitation. He was glowing with a joy so bright that Tony never wanted that light to fade, always wanted to be the reason Loki shone this way.

Tony's mouth curved and parted on a laugh at the realization that this was truly happening, that they had essentially gotten engaged - for real, this time - at their fake wedding.

The kiss was slow and deep, unhurried and thorough, full of desire but without the need to satisfy it. When they broke for breath, Loki rested his forehead against Tony's, brushing their noses together and sharing the same air.

Around them, the crowd cheered.

No one was stabbed.

*

Their first real wedding was in New York.

Their second real wedding was on Vanaheim.

Their third and fourth and many, many more were across the galaxy...when they weren't fighting for their lives or running away from angry mobs for having facial hair or being worshipped as gods - Loki had grown one in solidarity - for the exact same reason.

Together, Tony and Loki wrote their stories among the stars, for only the infinity of space could hold them all.


	2. Moodboard

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not a new chapter but a new-ish moodboard. ;)

**Author's Note:**

> [dls-ao3.tumblr.com](https://dls-ao3.tumblr.com/)


End file.
